Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Enrico Lesen d'Aston

Born  5 Sep 1914Milan
Died   1985(70)Salerno

Ranks

  S.T.V.Sottotenente di Vascello
  T.V.Tenente di Vascello

Decorations

14 Dec 1940 Croce di guerra al valore militare
16 Nov 1942 Medaglia d'argento al valore militare

Career information

COMANDANTE ALFREDO CAPPELLINI (S.T.V. officer): from 10.05.1940 to November 1940+.
C.B.1 (T.V. C.O. and Capo Squadriglia C.B. or Head Midget Submarine Squadron): from 10.05.1941 to 31.12.1941?
H.2 (T.V. C.O.): from 01.01.1942 to 11.02.1942.
H.1 (T.V. resp.): from 02.02.1942 to 05.03.1942 (refit at Genoa).
C.B.1 (T.V. C.O. and Capo Squadriglia C.B. (Mar Nero) or Head Midget Submarine Squadron Black Sea): from February 1942? to August 1942?

Commands listed for Enrico Lesen d'Aston


Submarine Type Rank From To
CB 1 ()T.V.10 May 194131 Dec 1941
H 2 (H2)CoastalT.V.1 Jan 194211 Feb 1942
H 1 (H1, P.56)CoastalT.V.2 Feb 19425 Mar 1942

Ships hit by Enrico Lesen d'Aston

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Enrico Lesen d'Aston

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
CB 1 ()12 May 19410725La Spezia12 May 19410945La Spezia7Exercises.

CB 1 ()16 May 19410800La Spezia16 May 19411600La Spezia40Exercises.

CB 1 ()27 May 19411330La Spezia27 May 19411900La Spezia28Exercises.

CB 1 ()28 May 19411330La Spezia28 May 19411800La Spezia22Exercises.

CB 1 ()29 May 19411330La Spezia29 May 19411900La Spezia24Exercises.

CB 1 ()30 May 19411400La Spezia30 May 19411900La Spezia23Exercises.

CB 1 ()4 Jun 19410900La Spezia4 Jun 19411200La Spezia15Exercises.

CB 1 ()4 Jun 19411400La Spezia4 Jun 19411700La Spezia10Exercises.

CB 1 ()20 Jun 19411500La Spezia20 Jun 19411700La Spezia9Exercises.

1.CB 1 ()25 Jun 19410600La Spezia27 Jun 19410831La Spezia153Patrol to test the possibilities of the CB-boats. Uneventful. Sighted only Italian vessels.

CB 1 ()15 Jul 19411535La Spezia15 Jul 19411815La Spezia9,8Exercises.

CB 1 ()19 Jul 19410820La Spezia19 Jul 19411215La Spezia19Exercises.

CB 1 ()22 Jul 19411430La Spezia22 Jul 19411800La Spezia19,3Exercises.

CB 1 ()26 Jul 19412045La Spezia27 Jul 19410230La Spezia23Exercises.

CB 1 ()28 Jul 19411600La Spezia28 Jul 19411830La Spezia3Exercises.

CB 1 ()29 Jul 19410900La Spezia29 Jul 19411130La Spezia5Exercises.

CB 1 ()4 Aug 19410930La Spezia4 Aug 19411150La Spezia14Exercises.

CB 1 ()7 Aug 19410925La Spezia7 Aug 19411110La Spezia9Exercises.

CB 1 ()9 Aug 19412135La Spezia10 Aug 19410145La Spezia14Exercises.

CB 1 ()11 Aug 19410912La Spezia11 Aug 19411350La Spezia13Exercises.

CB 1 ()12 Aug 19412025La Spezia12 Aug 19412400La Spezia14Exercises, escorted by the tug Porto Sdoba.

CB 1 ()2 Sep 19411020La Spezia2 Sep 19411210La Spezia3Exercises or changed anchorage.

2.CB 1 ()9 Sep 19410525Naples9 Sep 19411300Salerno40Antisubmarine patrol.

3.CB 1 ()20 Sep 19411600Salerno21 Sep 19411545Salerno106Antisubmarine patrol. Sighted only Italian fishing vessels.

4.CB 1 ()14 Oct 19411710Salerno15 Oct 19411200Salerno77,5Antisubmarine patrol with CB 5 Uneventful.
  14 Oct 19412006
(0) Off Salerno.
At 2006 hours, the midget submarine CB 5 was sighted at a distance of 300-400 metres.

5.CB 1 ()22 Oct 19411800Salerno23 Oct 19410700Salerno57,5Antisubmarine surface patrol. Uneventful.

6.CB 1 ()26 Oct 19411800Salerno27 Oct 19410841Salerno66Antisubmarine patrol on the surface with CB 5. Uneventful.

CB 1 ()17 Nov 19410915Salerno17 Nov 19411518Salerno20Exercises.

CB 1 ()18 Nov 19410830Salerno18 Nov 19411535Salerno25Exercises.

CB 1 ()19 Nov 19410900La Spezia19 Nov 19411255La Spezia?Exercises.

CB 1 ()23 Dec 19411030Salerno23 Dec 19411200Salerno?Exercises.

H 2 (H2)31 Dec 19410800Taranto31 Dec 19411145Taranto21Exercises.

CB 1 ()4 Jan 19420825Salernoa4 Jan 19421440Naples40Passage Salerno-Naples on the surface at 6 knots, then to La Spezia by train (the date of the transfer by train is not known).

H 2 (H2)9 Jan 19420800Taranto9 Jan 19421617Taranto30Exercises.

H 2 (H2)14 Jan 19421241Taranto14 Jan 19421732Taranto32,5Exercises.

H 2 (H2)18 Jan 19421230Taranto18 Jan 19421430Taranto11Exercises.

H 1 (H1, P.56)2 Feb 1942Genoa5 Mar 1942GenoaRefit in Genoa.

CB 1 ()24 Feb 19421300La Spezia24 Feb 19421705La Spezia20Exercises, escorted by the torpedo boat Carini.

CB 1 ()26 Feb 19420955La Spezia26 Feb 19421415La Spezia15Exercises with the submarine H 4, escorted by MAS 505 and MAS 525.

CB 1 ()16 Mar 19420920La Spezia16 Mar 19421420La Spezia18Exercises.

CB 1 ()21 Mar 19421430La Spezia21 Mar 19421900La Spezia15Exercises, escorted by the auxiliaries San Marco and Santantioco. In April 1942, moved by train from La Spezia to Costanza.

CB 1 ()22 May 19420945Costanza22 May 19421400CostanzaExercises.

CB 1 ()2 Jun 19422330Costanza5 Jun 19421055Yalta280Passage Costanza-Yalta with CB 2 and CB 3.
  3 Jun 19420558At 0558 hours, a German aircraft was sighted and exchanged recognition signals.
  5 Jun 19420310
(0) 191° - Cape Sarytch - 25 miles.
At 0310 hours, a Soviet destroyer was sighted at a distance of 7,000 metres, steering 140° at 18 knots. The midget submarine CB 2 was within voice range and was informed, but neither submarine was in a position to intercept.

7.CB 1 ()7 Jun 19421900Yalta8 Jun 19420710Yalta68Patrolled south of Sevastopol between 44°10'N and 43°50'N, and between 33°10'E and 33°24'E. Uneventful.

8.CB 1 ()12 Jun 19421400Yalta14 Jun 19420920Yalta111Patrolled south of Sevastopol, on the meridian of Cape Sarych, 25 miles from the cape, then at dawn of the 13th 173° - Cape Chersonese - 23 miles. Uneventful.
  13 Jun 19420640
(0) Off Yalta.
At 0640 hours, the midget submarine CB 3 was sighted returning to Yalta.

9.CB 1 ()16 Jun 19421800Yalta18 Jun 19421110Yalta191Patrolled south of Cape Sarych and south of Sevastopol. According to sailing orders, was to have patrolled in 43°44'N, 33°33'E and 44°15'N, 33°33'E (probably patrolled only latter position as she sailed one day later than ordered).
  17 Jun 19421020
(0) South of Sevastopol.
At 1020 hours, the midget submarine CB 2. was sighted.
  17 Jun 19421505
(0) South of Sevastopol.
At 1505 hours, a Soviet submarine was seen emerging from the fog at a distance of 5,000 metres. CB 1 attempted to attack, but closed only to 4,000 meters before the enemy submarine turned away and disappeared into the fog.
  17 Jun 19421843
(0) About 12 miles east of Cape Chersonese.
At 1843 hours, two Soviet bombers were sighted at a distance of 2,000 metres. CB 1 dived.
  17 Jun 19422025
(0) South of Cape Chersonese.
At 2025 hours, three Soviet MTBs exchanging signals were sighted at distances of 400, 800 and 2,000 metres. CB 1 dived.
  17 Jun 19422105
(0) South of Cape Chersonese.
At 2105 hours, a small Soviet torpedo boat was sighted at a distance of 1,000 metres. CB 1 could not attack as its two torpedoes were set for a depth of three meters.
  17 Jun 19422231-0100/18
(0) South of Cape Chersonese.
From 2231 hours on 17th June to 0100 hours on the 18th, CB 1 was subject to a depth charge attack, apparently by two MTBs. The submarine could not dive below 30 meters because of a leak and counted 17 depth-charges, but was not damaged. The submarine surfaced at 0120 hours on the 18th and sighted nothing but, at 0335 hours, the two MTBS were seen again at a distance of 3,000 meters.

10.CB 1 ()24 Jun 19421800Yalta26 Jun 19421000Yalta120Patrolled south of Cape Sarych and south of Sevastopol in 44°05'N, 34°00'E.
  24 Jun 19422210
(0) Near Yalta.
At 2210 hours, two Soviet MTBs exchanging signals, were sighted at a distance of 3,000 metres.
  25 Jun 19420822At 0822 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 2,000 metres and CB 1dived.

At 1943 hours, information was received of an enemy destroyer 14 miles to the south of midget position. Because of the heavy seas, CB 1 was unable to intercept.

11.CB 1 ()29 Jun 19421800Yalta1 Jul 19421123Yalta93Patrolled south of Cape Sarych or 30 miles south of Yalta.
  29 Jun 19422105
(0) Near Yalta.
At 2105, a Soviet MTB was sighted.
  30 Jun 19420755At 0755 hours, a Soviet submarine was sighted at a distance of 4 miles and dived shortly after. CB 1 attempted to close using her hydrophones, but lost contact at 1105 hours.

CB 1 ()7 Jul 19421400Yalta9 Jul 19422000Costanza289Passage Yalta-Costanza with CB 4. Marred by defects.

CB 1 ()20 Aug 1942Time?Costanza20 Aug 1942Time?Costanza10Exercises?.

58 entries. 50 total patrol entries (11 marked as war patrols) and 14 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines